No fee hike for majority of Dubai schools

Educational authority only allows ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ rated schools to charge parents more in new academic year

By

Sneha May Francis

PublishedThursday, February 07, 2013

Despite Dubai schools warning parents of a possible fee hike this year, there will be none this year.

Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has made the announcement after the Educational Cost Index (ECI), which is published by the Dubai Statistics Centre, released its recording of minus 1 percentage.

This indicates that the fees will remain unchanged for 2013-14 academic year.

ECI is affected by the consumer price index and specifically addresses the costs of running a school, including salaries, rent, and utilities.

“We are sending communications about the ECI and its implications to all private schools in Dubai, to ensure they are understood clearly. We urge schools to also share this information with parents,” said Mohammed Darwish, Chief of KHDA’s Regulations and Compliance Commission.

However, the school fee framework does allow exceptions to 'good' and 'outstanding' rated for profit schools.

“Provided they make additions to existing buildings; improve educational facilities such as laboratories and libraries; invest in property in order to expand; renovate, demolish or rebuild existing buildings or floors; build additional branches of an existing school; relocate to a new building for the benefit of teaching and learning; or undertake tangible development that improves the quality of education they offer, including provision for special education needs students.”

The education regulatory authority had explained how the ECI readings and the school inspecting grading would together forecast the fee hike in Dubai for 2013-14.

“When the index comes in that’s when the hike, if any, will be determined,” Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General, KHDA, had explained.

Last year, KHDA had allowed 129 Dubai schools to increase fees based on the ECI reading at 3. Schools that were rated 'outstanding' were allowed 6 per cent increase, while schools marked 'good' 4.5 per cent, and those listed as “satisfactory” and “unsatisfactory” allowed 3 per cent.

Inspection reports for Indian and Pakistani schools were out just a week back, with no staggering change in the grading.